Manufacturing Trends 2014: Top 6 Predictions

February 28, 2014 6:15 am

Manufacturing Trends 2014 Top 6 Predictions The new intelligent manufacturing trends which are expected to gain momentum
With the ever-aware digital consumer insisting on better products, personalisation and customisation, greater choice, more flexibility, and faster delivery, enterprises are grappling with intense competition in a tough economic environment to fill this tall order. Organisations are increasingly achieving success in this quest with intelligent manufacturing, which is enabled by information and communication technology (ICT) and that is proving to be a global game-changer.
Although the impression is that ICT integration is a time- and cost-intensive exercise, it is proving transformational through flexible production and made-to-order products, value addition enabled by intelligent supply chain management, and end-to-end management of product design and lifecycle.The new intelligent manufacturing paradigm is revealing some interesting trends which are expected to gain momentum. Some of these are the emergence of the plug-and-play factory, enterprise mobility solutions, the industrial Internet, 3D printing, greater impact of social media, and new business models.
Let’s examine each of these a little more closely.
Trend 1Plug-and-play factory and predictive asset analyticsWith factories fast evolving into increasingly complex, expensive and distributed operations, enabling technologies such as the flexible factory and predictive asset analytics are helping enterprises address not merely the competition but also sustainability related issues.
The plug-and-play factory: The ‘flexible factory’ or ‘plug-and-play factory’ is fully automated with standardised plug-and-play components and distributed controls, and is quickly and easily reconfigurable. Given the growing power of the digital consumer, manufacturers with such facilities will be ahead of the curve.
Predictive asset analytics: This takes the manufacturing game to the next level from real-time information and intelligence on the state of machines. Enabled by the explosion of big data, these sophisticated technology solutions catch signs of machine wear or breakdown early, thereby giving manufacturers a head start in making repairs before any real damage is done. The benefits include greater productivity, less downtime and reduced costs of equipment and spares.
Trend 2 The rise of enterprise mobility solutionsAlong with the digital consumer, it is the mobile workforce that has emerged as a key change driver. With the emergence of more manufacturing-specific applications and consumer devices like tablets and smartphones making their presence felt on the shop floor, manufacturers are investing in enterprise mobility solutions. This trend has been steadily gaining ground and can only grow further as traditional organisations understand the importance of mobility to business growth.
Trend 3Industrial Internet Once unthinkable, the revolutionising vision of industrial Internet that connects two divergent technological eras – the industrial and the Internet – is fast turning into reality. While analysts’ projected productivity gains of over $15 trillion may take some time to materialise, new technologies in sensors, visual interfaces, connected devices, and analytics are rapidly bridging the divide.
As part of this trend, the industry is witnessing the development of new products and services that are transforming the way we live, commute and work.

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